Worth Noting

&lt;cal2&gt;The Capital Home & Garden Show will be held Feb. 26-29 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The show features 14 dream gardens created by top landscape companies, more than 600 remodeling, gardening and decorating exhibits in two big exhibit halls providing inspiration and a million ideas, a gardening stage featuring local and HGTV experts, a cooking stage featuring cooking tips and outdoor entertaining ideas, a feature stage with celebrity appearances, and the latest hot picks for the spring season with HGTV's Karl Lohnes.

Show times are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 29. The Dulles Expo Center (www.DullesExpo.com) is located at 4368 Chantilly Place, in Chantilly.

Show admission is $9 for adults, $3 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for kids 5 & under. Tickets can be purchased at the Dulles Expo Center box office during show hours.

&lt;cal2&gt;Virginia residents, 55 years of age or older, now can learn about the issues surrounding the mature driver and how this age group can cope with the demands they face in a Mature Operators’ Driver Improvement Program . This course, sanctioned by AAA, is presented by certified Auxiliary Police Officers and highlights safety behind the wheel for the mature driver. The class will be held Saturday, Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sign-in starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Sully District Governmental Center, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly. Cost is $10 at door for materials. To register for the class, contact Officer Mary Hulse at 703-814-7018. Lunch will be provided.

&lt;cal2&gt;Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources (OAR) of Fairfax County is a non-profit agency that provides positive influences on the lives of offenders in the Fairfax County jail, as well as assistance to their families. OAR is currently seeking volunteers to conduct one-to-one mentoring sessions with inmates and teach classes in the jail. Volunteers can also work with families of offenders during visiting hours in the Adult Detention Center. Emphasis is on helping an offender make a successful transition into our communities. Special skills are not required. The next training will be on Feb. 28. Call 703-246-3033.

&lt;cal1&gt;SUNDAY/FEB. 29

&lt;cal2&gt;New Life Christian Church is purchasing a large number of ticket vouchers to encourage members to view Mel Gibson's new movie, "The Passion of the Christ." New Life is providing free tickets for people in the community who aren't church-goers, but are seeking to understand who Jesus is. New Life will also be holding a free screening of the movie on Sunday, Feb. 29 at 9:30 a.m. at the Regal Cinemas in Sterling (across from the Dulles Towne Center).

If you would like more information on the screenings of "The Passion of The Christ," call New Life Christian Church at 703-266-0118 or email info@newlife4me.com or visit www.newlife4me.com. New Life Christian Church meets at Westfield High School in Chantilly and Regal Cinemas on Route 7 every Sunday morning.

&lt;cal1&gt;MONDAY/MARCH 1

&lt;cal2&gt;Centreville Toastmasters is the place to improve your communication and leadership skills. The club meets from 7-8:15 p.m. on Mondays at the Centreville Regional Library. Guests are welcome. Prepared speeches, oral evaluations and impromptu speeches (table topics) will be on the agenda. Call Lynn Griesmer 703-263-2468. Upcoming meetings: Monday, March 1, Monday, March 15, Monday, April 5, and Monday, April 19.

&lt;cal1&gt;TUESDAY/MARCH 2

&lt;cal2&gt;New Mothers Luncheons are held every Tuesday for mothers and newborn babies to 8 months old. The group meets for lunch, speakers, discussions and fun — a different program every week. Bring a friend or come alone — it's a great way to meet other new moms and babies in the area. Meets Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Il Lupo Italian Restaurant, 4069 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. Lunch is $20; four-lunch series is $75. Reservations required. Call Rochelle Goldberg at 703-961-9179 or email: eventbuilders@hotmail.com.

&lt;cal2&gt;Mothers First — Centreville/Chantilly is a support group for women making the transition from careers to at-home motherhood. Activities include lectures, field trips, moms night out, etc. March meetings are March 4 and March 18 at 10:15 a.m. at the Centreville Regional Library. Call 703-827-5922 or visit www.mothersfirst.org.

&lt;cal1&gt;MARCH 6-7

&lt;cal2&gt;More than 700 full-color images of nature in North America will welcome viewers at the second annual Meadowlark Nature Photography Exhibition, Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. Professional and top amateur photographers from the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NOVACC) will host the event from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day in the indoor garden setting of The Atrium and in the Gardens' Visitor's Center. Admission and each day's activities will be free, including complimentary camera cleanings on Saturday. Aspiring and experienced photographers may bring samples to be critiqued and attend photography technique programs. Visit the exhibit Web site, www.MeadowlarkPhotoExhibit.com, for more information, to view 2003 exhibit images and to learn about the participating photography clubs. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna. Call 703-255-3631 or visit www.nvrpa.org/atrium.html.

&lt;cal2&gt;Would you like immunity to dangers like insults, excuses, stresses, obstacles, fear, minority? Want more resilience, personal power and impact? This fun, energizing, weekend workshop of proven techniques is to strengthen the warrior in you so you can save yourself from burnout, and achieve what you want in the world. Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. To be held at 14435 Four Chimney Drive, Centreville. Cost is $150. Contact sallyramsden@bigfoot.com or call 703-803-4051 to reserve your place. Booking essential.

&lt;cal1&gt;SATURDAY/MARCH 13

&lt;cal2&gt;The Fan's Choice Sports Product and Memorabilia store in Centreville will host NASCAR's 2003 Rookie of the Year and 2003 Driver of the Year, Ryan Newman's #12 Mobil 1 show car, in its parking lot on Saturday, March 13. The show car will be on site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the event is open to the public. Great up-close and personal opportunity to see a replica racecar of NASCAR's top driver for 2003. The Fan's Choice and Mobil 1 Racing will offer prizes and drawings throughout the day. Thom and Renee Petrella own the store, and it's centrally located in Centreville at 13830 Lee Highway — near Centreville Lanes and in the shopping center behind The Community Bank. Call 703-988-0500 or visit the Web site at www.fanschoicesports.com.

&lt;cal2&gt;The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders Inc. will be holding an open house on Saturday, March 13 from 1-5 p.m. Come and see the action on Northern Virginia's largest fixed operating "HO" scale model railroad. Featuring digital control, sound and smoke. Also, visit the W&OD railroad's real caboose. The club is located in the historic Washington & Old Dominion Railroad station, 231 Dominion Road (on the WO&D Trail) in downtown Vienna. Free admission, however, cash or check donations (at the door) are gratefully accepted. Additional information and directions can be obtained at www.nvmr.org by e-mail at nvmrinc@hotmail.com or by calling 703-938-5157 on the day of the open house.

&lt;cal2&gt;The Lane's Mill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter meeting is on Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m. at the Centreville Library. Guest speaker will be Mildred DeBell (past DAR community service award recipient) who will speak on women's history and the history of Centreville. Lane's Mill is a small but active chapter that offers a broad range of programs on historic preservation and natural conservation, education of our nation's youth, promotion of patriotism, and love of our country. Prospective members and guests are encouraged to attend meetings. Contact Jennifer Smith, Chapter Regent, at 703-961-1030 or visit the chapter site at www.dar.org under "chapters".

&lt;cal1&gt;MARCH 19-21

&lt;cal2&gt;Equine Event East, a show featuring thousands of equine products, demonstrations, clinics and seminars along with a variety of horses, will be held March 19-21 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The event will include equine experts Jane Savoie, Richard Strake, Nina Fout, Carol Gurney, Dave Seay, Bruce Davidson, Van Manley, Julie Goodnight and more. Hours are from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 19; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 20; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 21. A special Saturday Night Equine Extravaganza is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 20 with proceeds benefiting the Equine Rescue League and The Rainbow Center for Handicapped Children. A separate ticket is required for this event. Admission to the show is $12/adults and $8/children under 8. Call 410-321-9559 or visit the Web at www.blueribbonshows.com.

&lt;cal1&gt;SUNDAY/MARCH 21

&lt;cal2&gt;Storyteller Noa Baum explores the variety of Jewish experience through folktales, literary adaptations and personal stories on Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m. at the Centreville Regional Library. Trained in theater and education, Baum has been performing and teaching in schools, libraries, and festivals since 1982; her audio recording of stories, Far Away and Close to Home, won the Parents' Choice Recommended Award. Tickets are free. Call toll-free 888-621-2230.

&lt;cal1&gt;SUNDAY/APRIL 4

&lt;cal2&gt;The public is invited to attend a parenting workshop titled, "Improve Communications with Your Children." This program will provide five simple, easy-to-remember steps to improve communication with your children. It will be held at Unity Life Center, 14088-C Sullyfield Circle, Chantilly, on Sunday, April 4 from 1-3 p.m. (which is also the day daylight savings time starts). Contact the church office at 703-263-7645.